Off Road Award: Mercedes-Benz Unimog is off-road vehicle of the year 2013

For the ninth time running the readers of the "Off Road" trade magazine have voted the Mercedes‑Benz Unimog best off-road vehicle of the year in the "Special vehicles" category. The vote for the "Off-road vehicle of the year 2013" covered thirteen categories with off-road vehicles from 53 manufacturers. Over 74,000 votes were submitted for 125 vehicles. The Unimog came took first place in the special vehicles category with an outstanding 31.1 % of readers' votes.

Unimog model series completely redesigned in 2013

After a ten-year production period, the Unimog model series were presented in 2013 with a completely redesigned interior and exterior. The implement carriers with the model designations U 216 to U 423 and U 530, as well as the Unimog extreme off-roaders U 4023 and U 5023 are equipped with modern Euro VI engines featuring outputs of up to 220 kW (299 hp) on the U 530 and 170 kW (231 hp) on the U 5023. The first figure of the model designation indicates the size (for example 4 corresponds to the earlier Unimog U 400) whilst the following two figures indicate the first two digits of the output in hp, i.e. 23 for 230 hp.

Unimog extreme off-roader – the classic

The cab of the Unimog extreme off-roader is a classic – it has defined the appearance of the Unimog since 1974. The development engineers were tasked with fitting the Euro VI technology beneath this cab. Their success lay in fitting the engine one metre further back below the cab. The length of the new cab was increased by 120 millimetres and slightly raised in comparison to its predecessor. The "Tirecontrol Plus" tyre pressure control system has been completely re-designed. A pre-set tyre pressure suitable for any operation can now be selected simply and conveniently in the display with the help of the "Road", "Sand" and "Rough road" programs. On the exterior, the dynamically designed radiator grille and the new bumper with modern lights show at first glance that the new generation of Unimog is at work.

The frame drop is now also further back because of this new central engine position and as a result the vehicle's centre of gravity is lower whilst retaining high ground clearance which, amongst other things, improves driving characteristics during off-road operation.

The implement carriers with their large windscreen for a clear view of the snow plough in winter and the mower in summer have received, amongst other things, a redesigned clear-view cab with a completely new instrument panel, new systems for the working and power hydraulics as well as the synergetic traction drive which allows the driver to switch between manual transmission and hydrostatic drive whilst driving.

Off Road magazine has been holding a reader's vote for off-road vehicle of the year since 1982.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.